Slide-in, slide-out play pool

ABSTRACT

A molded tub or play pool structure having a pair of integrally molded recreational structures including sliding surfaces and steps leading up to the sliding surfaces is disclosed herein. The recreational structures in cooperation with two U-shaped end walls define a water-retaining pool. More specifically, the sliding surfaces are oppositely oriented, one of the sliding surfaces permitting sliding entry into the pool, the other sliding surface permitting sliding egress from the pool.

United States Patent 1191 Chase 1 51 Jan.9, 1973 54] SLIDE-IN, SLIDE-OUT PLAY POOL [75] Inventor: Ascher Chase, Norfolk, Va.

[73] Assignee: General Foam Plastics Corp., Norfolk,'Va.

[22] Filed: v July 2,1971 [21] Appl.No.: 159,396

. 52 U.s.c1. ..4/l72,272/56.5R

51'] 1m.c1 ..E04h3/16,E04h3/18 [58] Field of Search ..4/172, 172.19,172.11, 173; 272/565 R [56] I 7 References Cited UNITED. STATES PATENTS Rohmar j ..4/172.1'9 ux ..272/5s.s R

Hjalte 3,269,726 8/1966 Laval] ..272/56.5 R 3,497,877 3/1970 Diemond et a1. 3,665,523 5/1972 Chase ..4/1 72 Primary Examiner-Samuel B. Rothberg Assistant Examiner-Henry K. Artis Attorney-Hubert T. Mandeville et a1.

[ ABSTRACT A molded tub or play pool structure having a pair of integrally molded recreational structures including sliding surfaces and steps leading up to the sliding surfaces is disclosed herein. The recreational structures in cooperation with two U-shaped end walls define a water-retaining pool. More specifically, the sliding surfaces are oppositely oriented, one of the sliding surfaces permitting sliding entry into the pool, the other sliding surface permitting sliding egress from the pool.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJAH 9 I975 SHEET 2 [1F 3 INVENTOR ASCHER CHASE ATTORNEYS FIG. 4

INVENTOR. ASCHER CHASE ATTORNEYS SLIDE-IN, SLIDE-OUT PLAY POOL CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The invention disclosed herein is related in several aspects to the inventions disclosed in copending applications Ser. No. 82,474, filed Oct. 20, 1970, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,523, and Ser. No. 113,023, filed Feb. 5, 1971-, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,668,715, the disclosures of which are deemed incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Tubs, wading pools, sandboxes and other similar fluid-retaining structures have been long known to the art for myriad purposes, paramount among which are recreational and hygienic applications. The materials employed in the construction of tubs, sandboxes, baths, pools and the like have varied from culture to culture and from civilization, ranging from stones and mortar to the most modern and recently developed synthetic materials, such as polyethylene.

Vacuum molded or otherwise thermoformed plastic bathing tubs, wading pools, sandboxes and the like have been known and used by the art for many years. Entry into structures of this type has been gained merely by climbing or stepping over the side walls or by ascending a separate ladder structure to the top of a sliding surface leading down into the structure. I-Ieretofore, there have been no unitary structures of this type available which haveincluded integrally formed steps or the like for ascension to a sliding surface for sliding entry into a pool. Likewise, there have been no unitary pools or the like available which have included integrally molded steps and slides for sliding egress from a unitary pool. Thus, there have been no unitary pools or the like having integrally molded structures for both egress and ingress available to the art.

SUMMARY. or THE PRESENT INVENTION DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan elevational view of a new and im- 0 proved play pool embodying the principles of the The present invention provides, for the first time, a

childrens play pool or sandbox structure having a pair of integrally formed slides and associated flights of integrally molded steps leading from the bottom of the structure to the top of the slides. One of the flights of steps leads from an interior pool floor of the structure to an exit slide, and the other flight of steps leads from an exterior landing floor of the structure to anentry slide. Importantly, the new pool structure having integrally formed step-slide structures may be vacuum molded or otherwise simply and economically thermoformed from a single sheet of heavy gauge plastic material, such as a high density linear polyethylene or a similar polymeric plastic material.

The slide-in, slide-out structure of the invention is specifically configured to possess sufficient integrity and structural strength to withstand any crushing forces which may be presented by the pressure of retained water or sand when the pool portion is filled and, similarly, to withstand and to support safely the weight of children on the sliding surfaces and steps. More specifically, the supports for the step-slides, themselves, are derived in part from molded U-shaped end wall portions of the new structure. Advantageously, an external web is provided between the two step-slides to enhance the strength, integrity, and attractiveness of the play pool structure of the invention.

present invention and having an entry slide and an exit slide formed in an oval structure generally defined by a pair of U-shaped end walls;

FIG. 2 is a side-elevational view of the new play pool structure;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the new structure taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view of a sliding surface of the new structure taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view of one of the integral step-slide structures of the invention taken along line 55 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Referring now to FIG. 1, the new structure 10 includes an outer side wall 11, an inner side wall 12, an interior bottomfloor l3 and an exterior landing floor '24. In accordance with the invention, the ends of the outer side wall 11 generally straddle the ends of the inner side wall 12, and a first, integral step-slide structure I4 is disposed between one pair of ends of the side walls ll, 12, and a second step-slide structure 15 is disposed between the other pair of ends of the inner and outer side walls ll, 12 to define a water-retaining pool 9 therebetween.

Specifically, both the inner and outer side walls l1, 12 are hollow and are generally U-shaped in plan configuration. The walls l1, 12 are oppositely oriented; that is to say, the end portions 12 of theU-shaped side wall 12 extend oppositely from the end portions 11' of the U-shaped side wall 11. Moreover, in accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, the end portions 12' are spaced inwardly of and are generally straddled by the end portions 11', in a manner whereby the straddling or end portions 11', 12' may effectively and safely support between them the pair of step-slide structures 14, 15. 1

Most advantageously, the step-slide structures 14, 15 are reversed (in terms of direction of slope from the inside of thepool 9) thereby enabling a user of the new structure 10 both to slide. into the pool 9 and to slide out'of the pool. Of course, if desired, both step-slides 14, 15 may be arranged to be exit .slides or both slides may be arranged to be entry slides. In large pools, more than two integral step-slide structures may be provided, if desired.

As shown in the drawings and in accordance with a specific aspectof the invention, the side wall 11' is hollow and includes an interior wall surface 20 and an exterior wall surface 21, which surfaces merge at a peripheral rim 22 extending along the side wall 11 and joining with a peripheral rim 23 formed at the edge of the landing floor'24. As will be appreciated, the rims 21, 23 combine to form a completely circumscribing The ends of the rim 27 blend into the floor 13.

' More specifically and referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4,

- each of the step-slide structures 14, 15 comprises a flight of integrally molded steps and risers 40, 41, and 50, 51, respectively, supported between and straddled by the side walls 11, 12, which steps and risers 40, 41 and 50, 51 lead up to the generally horizontal platforms 42, 52, respectively. The step-slide 14 has a sliding surface 43 which extends downwardly from the platform 42 to the interior floor 13. Advantageously, the platforms and sliding surfaces may have a slightly concave cross-section (Fig. The sliding surface 43 is supported between the inner and outer walls ll, 12. Similarly, a sliding surface 53 extends from the platform 52 to the landing 24, which sliding surface 53 is also supported between the walls l1, 12.

As will be appreciated, the new structure embodying the principles of the invention may be simply and efficiently vacuum molded from a single sheet of heavy gauge plastic material to provide a new and improved one-piece pool and slide structure. Advantageously, the new structures may be nested for conservation of space in shipment, storage and display.

It will be appreciated that the new pool structure of the invention provides for the first time a play pool, sandbox, or the like having several integral step-slides therein and also provides for the first time a play pool or the like which may be entered and exited by sliding. While the new slide-in, slide-out pool of the invention has been illustrated in the form of an oval, it will be appreciated that the external, geometrical shape ismerely a matter of choice and that the new pool may be round, rectangular, or otherwise shaped while embodying the principles of the present invention. Accordingly, reference should be made to the followingappended claims in order to ascertain the full scope of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A unitary recreational structure, comprising a. a first step-slide structure including integrally molded first steps and risers ascending to a first inclined sliding surface;

. a second step-slide structure including integrally molded second steps and risers ascending to a second sliding surface;

. a first, generally U-shaped common side wall supporting the first lateral edges of said 'steps, risers, and sliding surfaces of said first and second structures;

. a second, generally U-shaped common side wall supporting the second lateral edges of said steps, risers, and sliding surfaces of said first and second step-slide structures;

. said U-shaped walls being oppositely oriented with the ends of said first side wall juxtaposed with the ends of said second side wall;

. an interior floor oining the lowermost interior edges of said first and second side wall and the lowermost edges of said first and second stepslide structures;

. whereby said first side wall, second side wall, first step-slide, second step-slide, and floor define a fluid-retaining pool therebetween.

. The recreational structure of claim 1, in: which said first and second common walls are generally hollow having interior and exterior surfaces which merge at a peripheral rim.

. The recreational structure of claim 1, in which said ends of said first side wall straddle said ends of said second side wall;

. said first lateral edges are exterior edges; and

. said second lateral edges are interior edges.

. The recreational structure of claim 1, in which web means extends in the plane of said interior floor between the lowermost outer edge portions of said slide structures and said second common wall.

. The recreational structure of claim 1, in which the structure is generally symmetrical as viewed in plan elevation.

. The recreational structure of claim 1, in which said first step-slid structure provides sliding entry into said pool;

. said second slide structure provides sliding exit from said pool.

. The recreational structure of claim 1, in which a generally horizontal platform means is disposed 

1. A unitary recreational structure, comprising a. a first step-slide structure including integrally molded first steps and risers ascending to a first inclined sliding surface; b. a second step-slide structure including integrally molded second steps and risers ascending to a second sliding surface; c. a first, generally U-shaped common side wall supporting the first lateral edges of said steps, risers, and sliding surfaces of said first and second structures; d. a second, generally U-shaped common side wall supporting the second lateral edges of said steps, risers, and sliding surfaces of said first and second step-slide structures; e. said U-shaped walls being oppositely oriented with the ends of said first side wall juxtaposed with the ends of said second side wall; f. an interior floor joining the lowermost interior edges of said first and second side wall and the lowermost edges of said first and second step-slide structures; g. whereby said first side wall, second side wall, first stepslide, second step-slide, and floor define a fluid-retaining pool therebetween.
 2. The recreational structure of claim 1, in which a. said first and second common walls are generally hollow having interior and exterior surfaces which merge at a peripheral rim.
 3. The recreational structure of claim 1, in which a. said ends of said first side wall straddle said ends of said second side wall; b. said first lateral edges are exterior edges; and c. said second lateral edges are interior edges.
 4. The recreational structure of claim 1, in which a. web means extends in the plane of said interior floor between the lowermost outer edge portions of said slide structures and said second common wall.
 5. The recreational structure of claim 1, in which a. the structure is generally symmetrical as viewed in plan elevation.
 6. The recreational structure of claim 1, in which a. said first step-slid structure provides sliding entry into said pool; b. said second slide structurE provides sliding exit from said pool.
 7. The recreational structure of claim 1, in which a. a generally horizontal platform means is disposed between at least one of said sliding surfaces and an uppermost riser. 